


Not Much of a Life, But It Has Its Perks

by themostmarvelousimagines



Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game)
Genre: Ace is an asshole, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Jake is so emo I swear, M/M, Mutual Pining, My First Work in This Fandom, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, What Have I Done, idk what this is
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-12
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2018-10-03 06:00:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10237406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themostmarvelousimagines/pseuds/themostmarvelousimagines
Summary: Life in the Entity’s realm is cold and unforgiving but sometimes it’s not so bad.





	1. New Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> I was just feelin' stuff and started thinking about how the survivors interact when Bill shows up, and thus, this was born. Idk where it's going but I'm sure it'll go somewhere eventually lol  
> I know everyone's asking for another chapter of Devil In The Details but I just can't find the desire to write it. Hopefully I will eventually bc I have plans for it, but idk. Things are weird rn. So if you're waiting on that I'm sorry, this is all I had the motivation for x

Jake was upset, and understandably so. Any time someone new showed up at the campfire, there was always some new place they were sent to, accompanied by a new monstrous being. So when Claudette helped Bill onto one of the benches, Jake turned his back on the group, stewing in his thoughts and trying to decide how to go about it all.

It was bad enough with Ace around, constantly hurting the girl’s feelings or making Dwight feel useless to the team. It didn’t matter to Jake whether or not Ace was nice to him, or even tolerated him. But the moment he saw tears come to Meg’s eyes after hearing Ace talk about having to be left behind by her, he knew they would have problems. Talk shit about him? Fine. Jake was thick-skinned, growing up with his father made sure of that. Talk shit about anyone in the group? Hell no. Jake wouldn’t excuse that.

He heard Bill mutter a thank you to Claudette as she finished with his injuries and Jake smiled, but only slightly. Leave it to Claudette to take care of the new arrivals; she was good at that.

“How long have you all been here?” Bill asked the group, his voice coarse and rough like sand paper.

Meg shrugged. “We don’t really know. It’s... been a long time.”

“Too long,” Jake mumbled into the wind.

The others turned to stare at his back and Dwight was the first to speak up. “Jake, come sit down.”

“I’m fine.”

“It wasn’t really a question.”

With a roll of his eyes, Jake joined the others, taking a place between Dwight and Nea. He stared into the flames in silence, waiting for the conversation to start back up, but it didn’t. When he raised his gaze, his eyes met with Bill’s; soft, understanding, and with a hint of sadness. A stark contrast to what he’d seen before. Jake watched with drawn eyebrows as he pulled the cigarette from his lips and held it between his fingers.

“You’re a stubborn one, aren’t ya?”

Just like that, any hope Jake had of liking this guy was thrown into the metaphorical trash. He sighed and tore his gaze away. Perfect, another Ace.

“He’s about as stubborn as they come,” Meg joked, shooting him a smile from across the fire. Jake couldn’t help but return it, even though he was still irked. It was hard not to smile when Meg poked fun.

“Comes in handy when you’re trying not to die,” he chuckled, pulling off his gloves and placing them in his lap, flexing his fingers.

“Speaking of which...” Laurie chimed in, coming to stand behind the bench and placing a hand on Nea’s shoulder. “I bet you’re pretty confused about all of this, Bill.”

“What, being chased by monsters?” Bill scoffed, “Nothing new there.”

The group exchanged looks and Dwight leaned forward on his elbows. “What do you mean?”

“Only ever been good at two things; killing shit, and avoiding being killed by shit,” Bill said, “I dunno how I got here or for what reason, but I’m here now, so there’s no use fightin’ it. May as well get used to it and do what I do best.”

“You’re saying you don’t care one way or another,” Jake said, meeting his gaze once more. “You’re saying all of this is nothing to you.”

Bill shrugged and placed his cigarette back in his mouth. “I’ve been through worse than this, kid. I think I’ll be all right.”

“We’ve been here for God knows how long, fighting for our lives against these... these things, and you think it’s just some walk in the park? You seriously don’t want to just go home?” Jake asked. He could feel himself growing angrier and more impatient, which wasn’t uncommon these days. The longer they spent in the Entity’s realm, the harder it was for him to keep his cool. Especially when it came to people like Ace- and now Bill- who got on his every last nerve.

Bill narrowed his eyes at Jake. “I dunno what ‘home’ is to you, kid, but to me, it’s a lot worse than this. So no, I don’t want to ‘just go home.’“

Jake shook his head and dropped his gaze, not wanting to carry on the conversation. He was beginning to feel a headache coming on, and his shoulder ached. The last thing he needed was to argue with some old war vet; he didn’t have the energy.

There was a rustling in the bushes and everyone stood, eyes wide and waiting for the worst. It wasn’t uncommon to see the Trapper or the Wraith wandering around in the shadows of the woods, but they’d never approached the fire; only stalked from a distance. Once Meg stepped in a trap while walking around during the daytime and ever since then, they never wandered too far from camp. It seemed like even in their safe haven, the Entity couldn’t let them have even a little peace of mind. Must be trying to keep them on their toes, Jake guessed.

A figure emerged from the greenery, clutching its side and chuckling loudly. “Sorry I’m late!”

Jake felt his stomach turn and sat back down. He would have taken the Trapper over Ace any day, and that was saying something.

“What happened?” Claudette asked, approaching Ace and holding out a bundle of bandages. He waved her away and coughed a few times, smirk still seated on his face.

“Kept getting caught,” he said, making his way to the fire. “I managed to get out of there eventually.”

“How did you get away?” Meg asked, pulling her legs up onto the bench.

“Weren’t any hooks left,” he said, clapping Jake on the shoulder and he passed him. “Thanks to you, kiddo.”

Jake winced and refused to respond. He didn’t have the patience for him either. He was spent after being sacrificed and just wanted to be left alone. Laurie glared at Ace as he he did this, then gave Jake an apologetic look, which he returned with a small smile.

If anyone had a harder time getting along with Ace than Jake, it was Laurie. His arrogant nature didn’t sit well with her, and she was one of the few people to actually call him out on it. She knew how much he bothered Jake, as well as the others, so she took it upon herself to dish out some much needed justice any time he acted out. Jake was thankful for that.

Nea helped Claudette patch up Ace as Bill watched on, observing how the others interacted and spoke to one another. In a strange way, it seemed almost familial, how they treated each other. It settled his nerves to know that they had each others backs.

“You okay?” Dwight muttered to Jake as the others conversed.

“Fine,” Jake said shortly, rubbing small circles into the front of his shoulder where the hook had once been. It was a dull, phantom-like pain, despite the fact that there was a literal hole in his skin. The fact that Ace was the only one to escape made it hurt that much worse; especially since Jake had basically given himself up to take out the hooks.

Things went a lot slower when he didn’t do generators. Hooks were much harder to find and didn’t take a long time to finish in comparison, but when you take down so many, it really puts a target on your back. There were times where he’d only taken down two hooks before being put in the dungeon. Sometimes he didn’t think it was worth it, but if it meant the others- even Ace- could get away, it was.

He was just really tired of being left behind.

“We should get some sleep while we can,” Nea said, glancing around the group. The others nodded in response and stood, saying their goodnights and wandering off. Not too far, of course. It wasn’t smart to risk sleeping too close to the treeline. Some just liked what little privacy they could get their hands on.

Jake leaned back against the bench and let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair and wincing as a finger got caught in a knot. He heard Dwight stifle a laugh next to him, so he turned and shot him a look as he untanged the knot in his locks.

“What?” Jake asked, his voice bemused.

“Nothing,” Dwight said, grinning and holding up his hands in defense. “I didn’t say anything.”

Jake narrowed his eyes at him and smirked, then shook his head and leaned back again. He rested one hand over his stomach and the other at his side, the coarse wood scratching his fingertips. Dwight stayed up quietly talking to Laurie for a while, and Jake listened in silence, not even close to falling asleep. After a while, the two said goodnight and Jake felt Dwight shift next to him, so he opened one eye and glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.

Dwight had his head resting to the side, chin almost on his shoulder, his eyes shut and his chest rising and falling steadily. He’d removed his glasses and placed them neatly in his lap. Jake felt his heart jump into his throat and he smiled, unable to help thinking about how adorable Dwight looked when he was trying to sleep. He looked down and noticed Dwight’s hand resting on the bench dangerously close next to his, and thought about taking it for a moment, but shook the thought and went back to trying to sleep as well.

Except, he wasn’t really trying to sleep. He was thinking of Dwight, against his better judgement. Ever since day one, Dwight had been there for him through everything and had yet to let him down. Then, even if he tried, he couldn’t disappoint Jake, not in a million years. He put 100% of himself into everything he did and Jake knew that he wouldn’t do anything unless he absolutely had to. That included leaving people behind.

Jake would never forget the time it had happened. As he often did, he had taken down one too many hooks and was left to bleed on the ground until fate- or in this case, the Entity- finally took him. Dwight had been busting his ass trying to save Jake, but he just couldn’t reach him in time. Any time Dwight got close, the killer would return, chasing him off, guarding Jake like a dog until he’d lost every last drop of blood in his body.

Just as Dwight finally reached him, he was two seconds too late, not that Jake knew that until he was back at the fire. Meg told him everything, but made him promise not to tell Dwight she said anything. Apparently, just after Jake had closed his eyes for good, Dwight stayed with him until he was chased off by the killer once again. He’d tried to bring him back, to help him up, but he was already gone. The only thing that got him to leave was when the killer herded him into the exit gates. Meg recalled the tears in his eyes when they got back to camp; how frustrated he was with himself.

“I should have been faster,” he’d said, hands locked tightly in his hair. “I could have saved him, I could have!”

Though he didn’t know it, Jake held the story close to his heart. To him, it meant everything. It was what finally made him realize that he felt something for Dwight, really felt something. Not just because he tried to save him, not just because he protected him every chance he got. It was simply because of how much he cared; and how deeply it hurt him when Jake was the last to make it back. Beyond that, it made his heart flutter any time he saw Dwight smile, or heard him laugh. It was rare for any of them to do, and was always nice to hear, but when Dwight did it, it was different. Jake wondered if he felt the same way.

A few minutes passed and Jake felt a pinky finger link with his own, and he smiled.

Maybe he did.


	2. Cypress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nea confides in Jake. Meg, Claudette, Laurie, and Dwight are sent on a trial. The group at the fire is forced to take shelter in the forest. Jake comforts Dwight when he returns from the trial.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything after the Hag isn’t involved yet. None of those characters are in the story just yet, fyi lol

“Jake, wake up.”

“Not even sleeping.”

“Well, wake up anyway.”

Jake opened his blood-shot eyes to see a very blurry, very out-of-focus Nea. He rubbed his eyes with his palms and yawned, then stretched his arms above his head. “What is it?”

“I saw something,” Nea said, her eyes darting around. “Okay, three somethings. Out in the woods.”

“What were you doing out there?” Jake asked. He was suddenly fully awake and any traces of sleep deprivation were shoved to the back of his mind. “Don’t you remember what happened to Meg?”

“I know, I know,” she sighed, “I couldn’t help myself.”

“Well, what did you see?”

Nea looked over his shoulder, staring intently at the forest behind him and drawing her eyebrows together. “I saw people. Real, actual people, like us.”

“Maybe it’s just new people showing up like Bill,” Jake said, barely believing his own words.

“I wanted to go after them, but my gut was telling me not to.”

“Probably for the best. It could have been anything.”

She hesitated for a moment before speaking again. “Do you think they were real? Or do you think it was the Entity messing with me?”

Jake stared at his friend, trying to come up with an answer and failing. He didn’t know. There was no way to know, unless they ventured off to find out for themselves. Which was a bad idea, but…

“Don’t worry about it right now,” Jake said after some time, “Just try to get some sleep, and stay away from the edge of the woods. Don’t go out there anymore unless you have to, and don’t go alone if you do.”

Nodding, Nea turned and wandered away. Jake made sure to watch her, he wanted to be certain she wasn’t too close to the forest, just in case. He sighed in relief when she laid down beside Claudette, facing away from him. It took some time for him to actually get to sleep himself, but after forcing himself to ignore the whispers that drifted on the wind, he managed to shut his eyes and fall into a dreamless sleep.

When he opened his eyes again, the fire was still burning as it always did, crackling in the silence and offering a small and fleeting sense of comfort. It was the only comfort any of them ever got, being around that fire. Jake always wondered if the Entity did all of it to taunt them, giving them a place to sleep and socialize without the threat of being torn apart if they so much as moved too quickly.

Jake looked around the fire and noticed that Dwight was gone, as well as Laurie, Meg, and Claudette. His heart sunk when the realization hit him, but it wasn’t a foreign feeling. Any time someone was missing, the others knew what it meant. It was nothing good. He hoped they’d all make it back from the trial in one piece.

If there was one thing Jake hated more than being stuck in that nightmare of a place, it was being left at the fire when the Entity chose who to take in the night. It made him feel helpless, knowing that they were being chased and hooked and there was nothing he could do to help them. That was probably a part of the Entity’s games, too; it separated them, then tortured one group physically, the other emotionally. What a fucking joke.

There was a rustling behind him and he turned quickly, searching the dimly lit forest for any signs of life and coming up empty. It had to have been close to dawn, with how dark blue the atmosphere was, so that didn’t help him to see what it was that made the noise. He squinted and leaned forward to try and get a better look, but he still hadn’t found anything.

“Mornin’, sunshine.”

Jake’s heart stopped in his chest, Bill’s voice startling him. He turned to face him and released a shaky breath. “Jesus, Bill, you scared the shit out of me.”

“Sorry,” he apologized, half smiling and taking a seat beside Jake. “Didn’t mean to disturb your bird watching.”

“I wasn’t-” Jake started, “Just- never mind. What’s up?”

“Just thought I’d stop by and chat,” Bill replied, lounging against the bench and removing his hat. “Figured maybe you’d be more pleasant after sleeping. Guess not.”

“I really don’t have the patience for this.”

“None of us do. Face your problems, kid, quit ignoring shit that bugs ya.”

“Look, I don’t need you trying to be some kind of shitty mentor or whatever it is you’re trying to do,” Jake fumed, standing from the bench and glaring down at Bill. “I can handle myself. We all can. You’re not our fucking father figure just because you happen to be the oldest person here, so lay off.”

It took him a few seconds, but Bill cracked a smile and stood, laughing heartily and clapping Jake on the back. “That’s exactly what I was talking about. Stand up for yourself, Jake. Don’t take shit. Glad you finally learned how to do that.”

“What the hell are you on about?” Jake asked, sounding dumbfounded.

“I saw how you people work together yesterday,” Bill explained, “You do a lot for these people, maybe too much for what they give back, especially that Ace. Put your foot down once in a while.”

“I don’t help them because I have to,” Jake said, “I help them because I want to. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not let my family get killed knowing I can do something about it.”

“So these people are your family,” Bill stated, “Even Ace?”

There was a long pause, then Jake finally answered.

“Even Ace,” he sighed, “I don’t like him but he’s here. He’s a part of the group… so are you.”

Bill nodded a few times and stared Jake down, observing his features and smiling to himself. “I think we’ll get along just fine, kid.”

A loud, booming noise crashed above them, making them both jump and look up at what was supposed to be a sky. Dark gray clouds loomed above, looking filled to the brim with rain, threatening to dump water on them at any second. Jake hadn’t even noticed just how dark it had gotten, or how quickly.

“What do we do?” Nea asked from across the fire.

“Not a lot we can do,” Ace replied, hands on his hips and staring up at the storm. “We either stay out here and get rained on, or we go into the woods for shelter.”

Everyone looked around at each other, the same, anxious expressions on their faces. A few drops of icy water were beginning to fall from the sky and another crash of thunder shook the earth, both urging them to make a decision quickly.

Jake looked over his shoulder at the forest and let out a frustrated sigh. “We know what’s in the woods, right? We know what to expect, but this has never happened before, we’ve never had rain. It might not even be rain.”

“What else would it be?” Ace asked.

“I’d rather not find out if it’s all the same to you,” Bill said, shivering once against the quickly chilling air.

Sighing, Nea began making her way to the treeline. “Let’s go. Watch your step, keep your eyes peeled for traps.”

Dwight counted in his head how many generators were left and came up with two, counting the one he was already working on with Meg. She’d picked him up after he’d been left on the ground- which was happening more and more- but it wasn’t easy, seeing as though the Hag put a perimeter of traps around him. It was eerily similar to how to Trapper acted with Jake.

It was obvious to everyone that the Trapper had a bone to pick with him. It could have been the fact that he had things Jake could- and did- break, and after so long, the frustration would undoubtedly build up. It could have been how much of himself the Trapper saw in Jake; what with their similar pasts with their fathers. The only difference was that instead of walking away like Jake did, Evan had stayed by his father’s side until the bitter end, which only turned him into the monster he was now. Maybe not physically, but it was clear he’d been a killer in his mind far before the Entity got a hold of him.

The strange chemistry with the killer made Jake uneasy. It was bad enough that he had to watch his step any time he moved, or had to check for traps under someone who’d been hooked. But it was as if he was under Evan’s watchful eye, and not in a good way. God help him if he took down too many hooks, or broke one too many traps.

The others had asked Jake to teach them how to sabotage before, but he always declined. Sure, it would help, and would definitely take some of the weight off his shoulders, but he couldn’t risk putting anyone else in the position he’d been in so many times before. The thought of Dwight or Nea bleeding out or stuck in the dungeon tied knots in his stomach. He didn’t want them to carry the same burden he did.

Dwight heard the sound of a generator being finished and a flood of relief washed over him. He and Meg were three quarters of the way done with theirs, and it was now the last one. It became much more difficult to pass skill checks with the added pressure, but they finished it regardless. The sound of the siren filled their ears as they made their way to the nearest exit gate, hearts racing in their chests.

“I haven’t seen Laurie this whole time,” Meg said to Dwight as he pulled on the lever to the exit gate.

“Neither have I,” he replied, glancing over his shoulder once.

“Do you think she’s with Claudette?” Meg asked.

“I hope so,” Dwight said, “Teamwork makes this bullshit go faster.”

As if they’d summoned her, Laurie emerged from the trees, coming from the same direction Dwight and Meg had. The sound of steel scraping rock filled the air as the gate opened, so Dwight quickly ushered everyone inside.

“Have you seen Claudette at all?” Meg asked Laurie.

“She was right behind me on the way here,” Laurie replied, turning back to the arena and searching with her eyes.

“We should go find-” Dwight began, stopping mid-sentence when he spotted her in the distance. “Never mind, she’s over there.”

Noticing the open door, Claudette burst into a sprint, thoughts of getting the hell out on her mind. The problem with that was that she hadn’t been paying attention, and tripped a nearby trap, making everyone either gasp or jump. She increased her pace and suppressed the urge to look behind her, and they all prayed that the Hag wasn’t close enough to teleport.

Dwight ushered her inside the exit as the trap- now the real thing- hunched forward, making her way toward them at an alarmingly fast rate. Maybe a little too fast, Dwight thought.

And then it hit him. Both literally and figuratively.

They’d seen it before. The moment the exits were powered, the killer became stronger, faster, and angrier- knocking them down with one single blow as opposed to two. It was terrifying, to say the least. He’d realized this was the case milliseconds too late as he turned to tell the others to run, then felt a razor sharp talon connect with his back, sending him flying onto the stone ground beneath.

He looked up in time to see the Hag chase the others out of the exit. Dwight began to crawl forward, willing himself to move as quickly as he could, but it was no use. She picked him up and carried him from the exit, only to drop him back onto the ground seconds later.

Confused, Dwight looked up at the Hag from the ground, and he swore on his life she was grinning at him. A wave of terror ripped through him once he realized what was coming, and like a storm made up of teeth and claws, she was upon him.

“How long has it been?” Nea asked, having to shout over the sounds of the rain.

“Hours, probably,” Jake replied. The four of them were huddled up under a large tree, their limbs pulled close to their bodies. He’d removed his jacket and placed it over Nea, seeing as though he would be more than warm in just the sweater he wore beneath.

The air was frigid, and had been since the rain had started. None of them felt safe, not even a little. Jake couldn’t shake the thought of what Nea had told him that morning, about seeing people in the woods. It sent a shiver up and down his spine, which didn’t exactly help against the cold.

Something disturbed the bushes behind them and they all turned.

“I told you, something’s out there!” Nea hissed to Jake, who responded by holding a finger to his lips.

The group watched in suspense as the rustling came closer, barely loud enough to hear over the sound of the storm. In his head, Jake tried to decide which was worse; one of the killer’s pouncing on them, one of the people Nea had seen earlier that day, or something else entirely. He came to the conclusion that all three at once would probably take the cake.

“Is it raining?”

Meg, Claudette, and Laurie emerged from the brush, hugging their arms around their torsos. Water dripped from the ends of their hair and onto their faces.

“Welcome back,” Ace greeted, “Hope you one of you knows how to treat hypothermia.”

“Where’s Dwight?” Jake asked abruptly, standing and shielding his eyes from the rogue drops of rain slipping through the treetops.

None of them responded. They all averted their eyes, sadness lurking beneath them. His heart dropped into his stomach and scrunched up into a ball.

“He didn’t make it, did he?”

Laurie shook her head. “She got him at the last second.”

Sighing, Jake ran a hand through his hair and slid back onto the damp ground. “Fuck.”

Eventually, the rain came to a halt, and when it did, everyone sighed in unison. Jake’s ears were ringing and he felt like his heart had slowed down exponentially. Sure, it was rare for everyone to come back in good condition, but this was Dwight. Something could have happened after the others had escaped, something worse than being put on a meat hook or bleeding out on the ground. He passed it off as paranoia and shook all thoughts of it from his mind. Dwight could handle himself.

When they returned to the fire, it was still burning, which surprised them all.

“This place makes no sense,” Meg said, angrily kicking a rock. She looked upwards to the sky and outstretched her arms before shouting, “You hear that? YOU’RE AN ENIGMA, YOU STUPID MOTHERF-”

“Meg, come on,” Jake said, trying to hide the laughter in his voice. Maybe he shouldn’t have found it funny, but watching Meg try to roast the Entity was pretty comical, if he was being honest.

“I hate this stupid place,” she muttered, taking the braids out of her hair and placing the hairbands on her wrist.

“We all do,” Laurie said, smiling at her. “But it’s probably not a good idea to make it angrier than it already is. I don’t wanna get rained on again.”

“You’re tellin’ me,” Bill chuckled, “We’ve been in this shit for hours now. You ladies showed up right at the end of it all.”

For the hundredth time that day, something shifted in the woods, causing all kinds of noise. It sounded clumsier this time, less precise than anything Jake had heard so far. Whatever it was, it was getting closer, and the others were already at attention. How many times that day would they have to wait for something horrible to stumble out of those god forsaken trees?

When Dwight stepped into the clearing clutching his stomach, Jake wasn’t sure if he should have been relieved or worried out of his mind. He settled for a mixture of the two as he stopped Dwight from falling flat on his face.

“What happened?” Meg asked, approaching with the others.

Dwight didn’t respond; he only shook like a leaf and hung his head, and that was all Jake needed to know the answer.

“She brought a Mori, didn’t she?” Jake asked softly.

Dwight nodded, and Jake felt his heart shatter in his chest like glass.

“Mori?” Bill asked, glancing around at the others. “Like a Memento Mori? Those creepy little shrunken heads?”

“It lets the killer kill one of us on its own,” Ace said, “Or all of us, sometimes.”

“Meg, who was it?” Jake asked, still holding Dwight up. He was basically dead weight in his arms.

“The Hag,” she answered, but not before hesitating.

“So, what, they just stab ya a few times and that’s it?” Bill asked, “Doesn’t sound so bad.”

“They don’t just stab us,” Claudette said, sounding vaguely annoyed. “It’s always different. They all have their own way of doing it, and it’s always horrible.”

“The Hag’s is the worst,” Jake said softly, staring down at Dwight with concerned eyes.

“Do we have to talk about it?” Dwight asked in a hoarse and quiet voice.

“No, we don’t,” Claudette said, “Let’s all go warm up by the fire and give Dwight some space.”

The evening was spent in almost total silence. Jake hadn’t left Dwight’s side since he’d returned, and he didn’t intend to. The thought of him being left alone with the Hag to be eaten alive made Jake sick to his stomach. He would have taken his place in a heartbeat if he could have.

Dwight was sitting next to him on the ground, their backs leaning against the bench. At Nea’s request, Jake transferred the jacket to Dwight, who now had it hanging loosely on his shoulders. He was staring blankly into the fire, his eyes distant and his shoulders slumped with his knees pulled up to his chest. The others had decided to clock out for the night, and after such a long day, Jake didn’t blame them. He glanced over at Dwight, his heart heavy in his chest..

To Jake’s surprise, Dwight cracked a smile. “Y’know, we always joke about how the Wraith purrs like a cat, but the Hag scratches like one. I had a cat once when I first moved out of my parents place. His name was Captain Peanut Butter, since he was the same color as peanut butter. ‘Captain’ was something my sister added to his name. ‘He just looks like a Captain,’ she said. I wasn’t supposed to have any pets in the apartment, but I kept him anyway. He loved to scratch anything he could get his paws on, y’know, like most cats. The rug, the couch, the carpet… mostly me, though. He had a thing for scratching my feet any time I ignored him. He also liked eating bananas, which was weird.”

A few silent moments passed and Jake couldn’t figure out what to say.

“I miss that little guy,” Dwight said softly.

“Dwight…” Jake trailed off.

“I know, I’m rambling,” he replied, “I just… I’m trying not to think about it.”

Jake glanced down in his lap, then at the fire, then back at Dwight. He felt his insides shrink at the blank expression on his face. It was hard to see any of them like this; it wasn’t a rare occurrence for one or more of them to be sacrificed at the hands of the killers, but this felt so different to Jake. It felt personal, and he wasn’t even there.

He gathered his courage and reached out, placing his hand over Dwight’s, which was resting atop his knee. Jake watched as he visibly tensed, and he thought about moving his hand away, but before he could do or say anything, Dwight launched himself into his arms.

Without even really meaning to, Dwight had reached out and latched onto Jake, locking his arms around his shoulders and doing his damnedest to keep his composure, but failed miserably. His body began to shiver as it had when he’d first stumbled into camp, and that was all Jake needed to slowly but surely circle his arms around Dwight’s torso, holding him close and muttering empty reassurances into his hair.

He’d never been good with these kinds of things. Handling his own emotions was hard enough, but handling someone else’s? Nearly impossible. This time, however, was strangely different. It didn’t make him queasy to be that close to another human being, it didn’t make him cringe whenever he whispered something comforting, it didn’t bother him. Whatever the reason, Jake was not about to question it, so he simply stayed there with his face buried into the side of Dwight’s neck, nothing else on his mind but making his friend feel safe again.

It wasn’t long before Dwight had cried himself out and began to doze off in Jake’s arms. Realizing this, Jake shifted him into a slightly more comfortable position by wrapping one arm around his shoulder and letting him nestle against his neck. After a while, his breathing became steady, fanning over Jake’s neck in soft, warm waves. The therapeutic sounds of Dwight snoring gently under his ear soon made Jake’s eyelids heavy, and he eventually joined him in sleep.

But not before exchanging knowing smiles with Meg, of course.


	3. Lost & Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake finds himself lost in the woods and is confronted by his fears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayo here's another chapter. Not gonna be posting these on my tumblr anymore, just here :-)

Months had passed and things only seemed to grow worse. With new victims of the fog came new killers, with new killers new abilities, new maps, and so on. It was overwhelming for the entire group, all of these things being thrown at them- sometimes literally in some cases- so suddenly. When Min arrived she brought with her the Doctor, with David came the Huntress, and so on. So far, Jake still struggled the most against the Trapper, what with Evan’s personal vendetta against him and all. When it came to the newer killers, the Huntress scared him more than anything.

After experiencing her Mori ritual before anyone else, Jake was left extremely shaken. With one blow to the head and two to the chest with an axe, it was definitely something to fear. He’d never felt such pain in his entire life- if that’s what you could even call it anymore. They’d all thought the Hag had the worst Mori of them all, but they couldn’t have been more wrong. Each new killer had something worse than the last up their sleeve.

Jake hadn’t forgotten what Nea had said about seeing people in the forest. In fact, he thought about it every day. He couldn’t quite figure out what she’d seen, or why she saw it, but he was determined to get to the bottom of it eventually. He’d planned to scope out the woods on his own; he didn’t want to drag anyone out there with him. He was going to get answers, one way or another.

When he wasn’t being chased by a Dream Demon, that was.

He stood at the edge of the woods and stared out, trying to find a sign of any movement. The fire was far behind him, the sounds of David’s booming laughter mixed with Claudette’s gentle giggling floating through the air. Jake looked over his shoulder at the group for a moment, almost willing them not to notice what he was about to do. Taking a deep breath, Jake turned his attention back to the trees and stepped into the fog.

Four steps in and he was already lost. He looked around and couldn’t figure out his surroundings; his sense of direction was totally lost. The fire had just been behind him seconds before, how could he have lost his way so quickly without warning?

The mist closed in around him, suffocating him; his lungs were tight and he couldn’t find his voice to cry for help. In the distance, shadows of the Wraith danced on the treeline, the sound of the Trapper’s breathing filling his ears and deafening him. He swore he heard two chainsaws revving up in unison somewhere far away, two lullabies accompanying them. The earth beneath him lit up with electric waves, sparks shocking his feet through his boots. Jake found himself overwhelmed with fear and dropped to his knees, hyperventilating and covering his ears.

Twigs snapped in front of him, startling him into looking up. A silhouette of the Hag was slowly crawling toward him and he fell backwards, his hand landing straight in a bear trap. Where the hell did it come from? He swore it hadn’t been there a moment ago, he’d have seen it.

Jake screamed and turned to try and free himself before the Hag turned him into dinner, but when he went to release the trap, it was gone. The jagged marks from where the jaws had been were still deep in his skin, blood trickling down his arm and dripping into the dirt below. He turned his hand over and examined the damage, but the sound of the Hag gurgling inches from his face caught his attention. When he whipped around, however, nothing was there.

His heart sunk. He was going insane.

He knew he never should have left camp. Nothing like that had ever happened to anyone when they set foot in the woods. Had they encountered the killers before? Of course they had. But no one had ever gotten lost and faced every single killer at once. Jake wondered what he’d done to deserve this Hell.

Just as he’d begun to lose hope and tears stung his eyes, all sounds came to a halt and a soft voice pulled him out of his panicked state.

“Jake, don’t be afraid.”

Out in the fog, he saw her. His heart pounded hard in his chest, bruising his ribs and making his lungs ache. Jake felt like he couldn’t breathe, like he was drowning in a dead memory. He knew there was no way it could actually be her, it was nothing more than a ghost created by the Entity to play with his emotions. Jake knew that, even in his current state.

But he couldn’t fight the urge to run into her loving arms and leave this world behind, ghost or not.

“Mom?” He asked, his voice hoarse.

“Where have you been, Jake?” She asked, “Your father misses you, son. We all do.”

“Dad misses me?” Jake whispered, his eyes watering. “No. You’re not real. This isn’t real!”

His mother shook her head, her dark hair falling over her shoulders. She was beautiful, like Jake remembered. There was no denying that all of Jake’s best features came from his mother. His friends used to joke about how attractive she was, and it always made Jake’s blood boil. She was more than a pretty face, she didn’t deserve to be reduced to something so shallow.

She was his mom. He missed her so much.

When Jake left home, she was the only one who even tried to stay in contact. She would visit him at his trailer in the woods, humoring his love of animals and nature. He would show off his skills with keeping birds, his growing talents in mechanics; it made her proud of who he’d grown to be, despite him dropping out of college. She knew he was meant for more than that.

Now, here she was, standing right in front of him, yet so far away. Jake, however, was smart enough to know when he was being toyed with. The Entity had its own games to play with the survivors when they weren’t being hunted and hooked like animals. The torture was endless.

“I’m here, Jake,” she said, her voice soft as silk. It made his heart ache. “Leave with me. We can go home.”

“I can’t leave them,” Jake said, tears rolling down his cheeks. “I can’t leave Dwight. He needs me. Everyone does.”

“We need you,” she replied, her voice more stern. She knelt down in front of him, extending her hand. “Your brother misses you so much, Jake. Come home.”

“No,” Jake sobbed, “I’m sorry, mom. I have to stay.”

After a few tense moments, she nodded, turned away, and disappeared into the mist without another word. Regret filled every fiber of his being as she walked away; he felt like he’d let her down again. He should have gone with her. Why didn’t he go with her?

Jake wiped his cheeks on the backs of his uninjured hand and sniffled. He prayed the feeling would pass, but it felt like his heart was in flames.

He wanted to go home.

“Jake?”

At the sound of his name, Jake turned to see Dwight, who looked very worried. The others crowded behind them, each with a different expression on their faces. The fire burned in the background and a wave of relief washed over Jake when he realized he was back.

“What’s wrong?” Dwight asked, dropping to Jake’s side on the ground. “Oh my god, what happened to your arm?”

“I saw her,” Jake answered, his voice coarse and rough. “She was out there. My mom was out there, she wanted me to leave with her.”

“Jake, she wasn’t real,” Dwight said softly. He placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. “I’ve seen things out there, too. I heard my sister call out to me one night when you all were sleeping. I knew it was just the Entity trying to get me to wander away.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jake asked, meeting Dwight’s gaze.

Dwight gave a sad smile. “We have bigger things to worry about.”

“Dwight,” Jake said, “I don’t know how much longer I can stay here. I can’t take much more of this.”

As Jake slowly began to sob, Dwight carefully pulled him into a hug, wrapping his arms around him and gently running his hands over his shoulders. Jake fell apart at the gesture, Dwight’s comforting embrace warming the coldest parts of his soul. Meg quietly ushered the group away from them; she knew an audience was the last thing Jake needed. He would explain later if he felt the need.

“Do you think we’re in Hell?” Jake asked after a while, “Do you think we died and ended up here?”

“If this is Hell, I’m glad I at least have you with me through it all,” Dwight responded, his voice gentle. "You're not alone, Jake. I promise."

“Dwight…” Jake trailed off, “You’re the only good thing that’s ever happened to me.”


End file.
